A Year to Live

Tic Tock Goes The Clock

Graylan's POV

I drove home as quickly as I could, my hands turning pale from the death grip I currently had on the steering wheel. I had to get away from there, I couldn't see her kiss him. The fact that his lips were against hers, and mine weren't made my heart wrench. I don't know what it was about Isa. She wasn't popular, she wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world, and she definitely wasn't easy to figure out. But that's what I liked about her.

I liked that I didn't always know what she was going to say, or what she was going to do. I liked the way that being around too many people made her nervous. I even liked the freaking way she turned into a tomato if you stepped too close to her. 

Stop it Graylan. With all the thoughts running through my head, I almost didn't notice that the light had turned from yellow to red, and immediately slammed the breaks. Cars honked behind me, but still all I could think about was Isa. Her laugh, her hair, her smile, the way her eyes lit up even if you told her a shitty joke. What's worse is I that I can't protect her. I can't tell her all of the things she doesn't know about Parker, because then she'll hate him. As much as I don't like him, I can't have her hating him. If she hates him, she won't come see him. And as much as I hate to admit it; I would miss seeing her around. Even if it wasn't with me.

I pulled the car into my driveway and took the keys out of the ignition. "Please tell me he isn't drinking." I told myself as I walked up the porch and noticed that the lights were on. He was normally asleep by the time I would eat dinner, and if he wasn't; he was getting drunk. I reluctantly opened the door, and heard glass smash as soon as I did.

I winced at the noise, but stepped inside anyways. "Dad, I'm home." I called out nervously. I heard him yelling a wide variety of profanities before he stumbled into the hallway, an angry look on his face.

"Where the hell were you?" He slurred, walking dangerously close to me.

"I was at football practice." I responded weakly, backing up towards the door and trying to reach for anything that I could. 

"Your mother always hated that stupid game!" He shouted before his fist made contact with my cheek. An immediate sting shot through my body, but it was quickly moved elsewhere as he started kicking my ribs. I groaned, but I knew that this was the best way that he knew to take his anger out. "You. Look. Just. Like. Her!" He yelled with each blow to my chest. 

"Dad please stop." I pleaded as I felt blood pour out of my mouth.

"I wish you were never born!" He screamed again with one final blow to my head before he stumbled over and fell unconscious. 

I slowly got to my feet and coughed out the remainder of the blood. I looked down at my dad, and picked him up, carrying him to his room. My heart clenched when I saw the picture of all of us. 

My mom was on the left with a bright smile across her face and a very pregnant belly. I was in the middle next to my older brother Brent. He was making bunny ears behind my head, and I was sticking my tongue out at the camera. My dad had his arm slung around all of us, and everyone looked so happy. I missed the times when we were all genuinely happy.

Everything changed when my mom died. Dad started drinking, and Brent was never the same. His eyes were always empty, and he never had friends over. When he moved out for college, it was his official goodbye. I hadn't seen my brother in over three years, and it's been my dad and I ever since.

He had no idea I had cancer, and he wasn't going to find out. I didn't want him to know that he would be losing someone else. As much as he didn't seem to care when he was drunk, I knew he did. He was still my dad, and I still loved him. I felt the bruise growing on my eye as I placed him down on his bed, closing the door behind me and waking down the stairs to the kitchen.